Connection structure of housing and bottom plate of golf club head

ABSTRACT

A golf club head includes a housing, a bottom plate, a face plate. The housing includes a neck and a connecting portion at a bottom of the neck. The bottom plate has a connecting portion associated with the connecting portion of the neck. A connection device connects the connecting portions of the housing and the bottom plate to fix the housing and the bottom plate together. The face plate is fixed to housing and the bottom plate to form a face of the golf club head.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a golf club, and more particularly to a golf club head with a connection structure of a housing and a bottom plate.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional two-piece or three-piece golf club head involves welding or brazing for connection of the pieces. The welding and brazing are unavailable in the connection of nonmetal, such as plastic or carbon fiber reinforced resin and metal. They also are unavailable in the connection of light metal, such as magnesium alloy or aluminum alloy and steel or stainless. Adhesive is the common means in connection of above golf club heads. However, adhesive provides a weak strength in connection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a connection structure of a housing and a bottom plate of a golf club head, which the housing is made of a nonmetal or light metal or lower melting temperature metal and the bottom plate is made of a common metal. The connection structure of the present invention provides a strong connection strength.

According to the objectives of the present invention, a golf club head includes a housing including a neck with an axial hole for insertion of a shaft and a connecting portion at a bottom of the neck. A bottom plate, which is provided at a bottom of the housing, has a connecting portion associated with the connecting portion of the neck, and a connection device connects the connecting portions of the housing and the bottom plate to fix the housing and the bottom plate together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along a 2-2 line of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along a 3-3 line of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a golf club head 10 of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes:

A housing 20 includes a neck 21 with an axial hole 22 to insert a shaft (not shown) therein. The neck 21 is provided with a connecting portion 23 at a bottom therein. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 23 includes a wall 24 at the bottom of the neck 21 and a bore 25 on the wall 24. A diameter of the bore 25 is less than that of the axial hole 22.

A bottom plate 30, which is connected to a bottom of the housing 20, includes a connecting portion 31 associated with the connecting portion 23 of the neck 21. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 31 is a column bias projected from the bottom plate, on a distal end of which a threaded hole 32 is provided.

A connection device 40 connects the connecting portions 23 and 31 of the housing 20 and the bottom plate 30. In the present embodiment, the connection device 40 is a bolt. The bolt 40 is inserted into the axial hole 22 of the neck 21 with a head against the wall 24 and a column 41 screwed into the threaded hole 32 via the bore 25. As a result, the housing 20 and the bottom plate 30 are fixed together by the bolt 40.

A face plate 50 is provided at a front of the housing 20 and the bottom plate 30 to form a face of the golf club head 10.

The housing 20 and the bottom plate 30 are provided with a protrusion 26 and a slot 33 for engagement to enhance the connection strength of the housing 20 and the bottom plate 30. It is easy to understand that the location of the protrusion 26 and the slot 33 may switch.

The face plate 50 is provided with a protrusion 51, and the housing 20 and the bottom plate 30 are provided with slots 27 and 34 to be engaged with the protrusion 51 of the face plate 50. It enhances the connection strength too.

In the present embodiment, the neck 21 is provided with a protrusion 28 next to the slot 27, and the face plate 50 is provided with a slot 52 to be engaged with the protrusion 28. It provides a twin engagement structure that enhances the connection strength at the neck 21 much to prevent breaking at this position.

Above structure, including the connection device 40 securing the housing 20 and the bottom plate 30 and the engagement of the protrusion 26 and the slot 33, increases the connection strength of the housing 20 and the bottom plate 30, so that adhesive, such as epoxy, may be utilized without breaking problem.

With the structure disclosed above, the housing 20 may be made of a nonmetal, such as plastic or fiber reinforced resin (carbon fiber) or a light metal, such as magnesium alloy or aluminum alloy with a lower melting temperature, and the bottom plate may be made of a heavy metal, such as titanium alloy, stainless, wolfram or nickel. The face plate 50 may be made of a flexible metal, such as titanium alloy, stainless or Maraging steel.

As shown in FIG. 4, a golf club head 60 of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention mainly includes a housing 70 and a bottom plate 80. The housing 70 includes a neck 71 with a connecting portion 72 therein. The connecting portion 72 includes a threaded hole 73. A nut 74 is received in the neck 71. The bottom plate 80 includes a connecting portion 81 with a recess 82 and a bore 83 at a bottom of the recess 82. A connection device 90, which is a bolt also, is inserted into the bore 83 and screwed into the threaded hole 73 and the nut 74.

The present invention is effected in the connection of the nonmetal and light metal. However, it may be utilized in the connection of the conventional metallic housing and metallic bottom plate too.

The description above is a few preferred embodiments of the present invention and the equivalence of the present invention is still in the scope of the claim of the present invention. 

1. A golf club head, comprising: a housing including a neck with an axial hole for insertion of a shaft and a connecting portion at a bottom of the neck; a bottom plate, which is provided at a bottom of the housing, having a connecting portion associated with the connecting portion of the neck; and a connection device connecting the connecting portions of the housing and the bottom plate to fix the housing and the bottom plate together.
 2. The golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the housing and the bottom plate are provided with a protrusion and a slot respectively for engagement.
 3. The golf club head as defined in claim 1, further comprising a face plate provided at a front of the housing and the bottom plate.
 4. The golf club head as defined in claim 3, wherein the housing and the bottom plate and the face plate are provided with a protrusion and a slot respectively for engagement.
 5. The golf club head as defined in claim 3, wherein the housing is provided with a slot and a protrusion on the neck, and the face plate is provided with a protrusion and a slot for engagement of the slot and the protrusion of the housing respectively.
 6. The golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion of the housing includes a wall at a bottom of the neck and a bore on the wall, and the connecting portion of the bottom plate includes a column projected from the bottom plate and a threaded hole on a distal end of the column, and the connection device is a bolt inserted into the axial hole of the heck and screwed into the threaded hole of the bottom plate through the bore.
 7. The golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion of the housing includes a threaded hole on the neck, and the connecting portion of the bottom plate includes a bore, and the connection device is a bolt inserted into the bore of the bottom plate and screwed into the threaded hole of the heck.
 8. The golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the housing is made of a material selected from the group of plastic, fiber reinforced resin, magnesium alloy or aluminum alloy. 